Review: The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork

Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: to marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!) and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.

Whisked away to his world—an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince—Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells…and the future she thought she wanted.

The Enchanted Sonata, a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃

Review

The Nutcracker and The Pied Piper are two of my favourite stories, and when I saw that they had come together in The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork, I was thrilled. This book is fast-paced, and it contains a cast of characters who are each well developed. I especially enjoyed the writing style and descriptions of music. I would definitely recommend this book for the holiday season, even if you are unfamiliar with the two original stories.

This book is a cross between The Nutcracker and The Pied Piper, and it tells the story of a girl who must reverse the spells of an evil magician who has turned everyone into toys. At first, I wasn’t sure how the two stories would fit together, but it actually makes perfect sense, and the stories work well. This book is action packed as Clara works to save the kingdom under time constraints, and I loved the musical aspects throughout. This is the perfect book for the winter season.

In The Enchanted Sonata, the reader is exposed to a variety of different perspectives which help to develop each character. I enjoyed getting to follow along everyone’s journey, especially Clara’s. What I appreciated were the bits of backstory for the villain which clearly outline his motives. It makes the story so much more engaging as well as believable. It is not always that we are provided with an origin story, so I was happy to see one in this book.

One of my favourite aspects of the story is the writing style. As music plays a big part in the story, there are many descriptions of music that are so breathtaking. It is easy to see the author’s passion for music with each note played. The beautiful writing is not just limited to music however, the setting and the characters are also vividly described. This makes the book come to life, and it is easy to get lost in the pages.

The Enchanted Sonata is a spectacular retelling of two of my favourite stories. The characters are well developed, and the writing style is very descriptive. I would definitely recommend this book, not only to YA readers, but to some middle grade readers as well. It is perfect for a holiday reading list.

About Heather Dixon Wallwork

Heather Dixon Wallwork has been a story artist for Disney, a writer for HarperCollins, and currently works as an animation director in Salt Lake City. She is the author of the books "Entwined" and "Illusionarium". You can find more of her stories and comics at www.story-monster.com.

I’m intrigued by the blend of both tales. This could be a good one for me. I don’t read a lot of retellings and always looking for something a bit new.Laura Thomas recently posted…Fatal Folklore …… The Beast Of Barcroft

i don;t really have seasonal reads. I have never been the type to read a beach book on vacation at the beach, or a wintertime love story in the winter, etc. But this really sounds good. The cover completely captured my attention and i a looking forward to giving it a chance. And seeing that cover in person!